A Fall of Stardust

Yes, appendages. Some people had extras.

But those were not really PEOPLE. No, they were alien creatures, the spearhead of an invasion force from the fourth planet of the star Zeta Reticula. They seemed human, so long as humans did not see them naked. Exposed, they were all too obvious.

Zeta Reticulans were quickly identified and exterminated by nauseated naked humans. Earth was saved. Right?

Ah, July 14th, that momentous day. National (now International) Nude Day was a success far beyond the hopes of its naive planners. All humanity was nude by the end of July.

The reaction in Muslim countries was chaotic. Women deemed "immodestly attired" were commonly attacked and raped publicly even before the comet. After the fall of Dark Stardust, gang-rapes were endemic. Many of those who were raped, died from their injuries or committed suicide. Birth rates and population levels in the Muslim world plummeted. Insh' Allah -- go with God.

Equatorial peoples who were not burdened by religious dogma hardly noticed. Sweating workers had toiled nearly naked under the sun for many millennia. Children playing au naturel were always common. A beast of burden cared not whether its rider was clothed.

Mmmm, but riding really bareback sure is fun!

Humanity did not have it easy. Some thought to cover their shame with metal clothing. But after the Reticulan Massacre, wearing clothes of any kind became a capital offense, with instant execution. Any covered person was assumed to be Zeta Reticulan trying to hide itself. DIE, ALIEN!

"Daddy, how come nobody wears clothes any more?"

"Well honey, things happened, 'cause of that damn comet, and now we don't have the old clothes now. Ain't got no cloth of any kind. We could maybe dress up in other things -- but we don't."

"No cloth? Why don't we make clothes out of other stuff? I seen pictures of people in metal suits and dresses. Some was real shiny."

"That would be fine if we were all humans here. But we ain't. There's some folks wandering about, ain't really people, some kind of ET-UFO-alien critters. They look like us -- except if we really look at them. Then we can see the difference. So they don't get naked."

"What do they look like, Daddy?" She held up her small dusky arm. "Are they black like us?"

"They disguise themselves, honey. They come in all colors, like humans. It's just that they have those... things... on their bodies.

"Oooh, things! Are these critters the only folks that don't go naked now?"

"That's right, honey. You see anything that looks like a person but is covering themselves up, you SCREAM, y'hear? Scream for all you're worth! We won't let those damn aliens take over our planet. It's all we got."

"I should scream? Oh goodie! I'm good at screaming. Wanna hear me?"

"You certainly are, honey. Nope, no need to practice right here. Save it for your brother. Now c'mon, we got to pick more nuts and berries for dinner."

* ANNAPOLIS: The flags were gone, except those set in paint or stone. Middies' uniforms were gone. Ranks and names evaporated. Cadets had only their faces for recognition now. And their bodies.

Damon recognized Jason. And Wendy. Recognized them -- and now, really saw them for the first time. Saw them, and wanted them. From the reactions of their bodies, they recognized and wanted him, too.

They came together, stood as one, rubbed closely, intimately. They said little. Words were superfluous. Action was enough. Flesh on flesh, mouths and fingers on flesh. A chain of lust.

* ABILENE: Dust gusted over the Kansas plains. Two cowhands faced each other alone in a ranch bunkhouse. They had worked together for over a year but never acknowledged their personal chemistry, not when clothed.

Disregard was no longer possible. They saw their faces, their tense muscles, their erections -- what they felt about each other. It was time to stop lying.

"Dave, this ain't no Brokeback Mountain show. This is real. You turn me on."

"Yeah, LaMar, everything's changed. We can start over. Together. C'mere."

They kissed, and more. They loved, and more. That dawn brought a new day and a new life. They shouldered their tools and walked away, into the future.

* ANACONDA: The mine manager skulked unsteadily behind garbage bins and dumpsters in the downtown alley. He heard mob voices on the main street, and shuddered. DAMN this fucking comet dust! DAMN what it did to clothes! DAMN that he had been exposed as a tiny-dick tyrant. DAMN it all!

He heard soft noises nearby. He froze, then ducked behind a trash can. He saw another figure slithering down the alley's other side. He recognized... The Senator! Another tiny dick, exposed. Fuck. Could they get away?

* ANCHORAGE: Turning tricks here used to be so easy, Lila thought. Flash some skin, talk some shit, fuck'em one way or another, take their money. But now... Everybody just running around naked! Seems like most folks did not go to work any more. They were all out in the street, fucking in public, anywhere that was halfway comfortable. Or fighting, even worse.

And no money! Shit, a pro like her was gonna have to find some other way to make a living. And not around here -- weather would get COLD soon! Lila wondered if she could find a floatboat heading south. Maybe she could get a few of the girls together and they could all work their passage on their backs.

* ASAHI: The Ama, the pearl-diving women of Toba Bay, were not much bothered by the Great Uncovering. They worked naked anyway.

They were most amused by the reactions of the menfolk, the locals as well as those stuffed-shirts visiting from Tokyo or Osaka. Those big-city boys just did not know how to adapt to new conditions. Well, they would learn -- or die.

Let all women learn to be naked, and proud! Let all men learn to accept their own skin! And fat ones could not hide in girdles any more. Better shape up!

Humanity did not retain its planetary range. The cold regions, the sun-baked dry hot zones, the harsh climes -- these were abandoned. Surviving humans contracted into tight communities in temperate zones.

Every ending marks a new start. Humanity began again, building a new civilization, a world culture not based on the old materials, the old verities, the old prejudices.

The most important new understanding: LOVE IS EVERYTHING. Without love, we die. With love, we can live and prosper in almost any conditions.

And we need not be ashamed of what we look like naked.

Of course, love and nudity combine to promote fucking. Lots and lots of fucking. Building a new world requires LOTS of fucking! Hop to it!

Humanity was now all sky-clad. Only one question remains:

Can humanity survive the experience?

HAPPY NUDE DAY!

The End?

Author's note: I am already thinking of a sequel, but don't hold your breath. Meanwhile: This tale is based on ideas from myself and Carnevil9 (thanks, Carny!) and is dedicated to George Stewart, whose classic STORM ushered in an epoch of episodic storytelling. Thanks to JackTar for much useful help. And to all the voices in my head who made this possible: Thank you. I always listen to my voices.